'We are hunted. You feel it from the very first day'

The female drone pilots operating on the frontline

- Gaby Schütze

Ilona is one of the hundreds of civilians willing to train to fly drones

Women have been involved in Ukraine's drone operations since the early months of the full-scale invasion, but as shortages in the military increase their presence has grown, particularly in FPV (firstperson-view) attack units.

Casualty figures are not disclosed but are widely understood to be high, and Ukraine is becoming reliant on civilians to fill roles that once belonged to trained military personnel. An intensive 15-day course is given to a trainee operator for a frontline post, a turnaround that reflects the urgent need.

Indoor and outdoor training courses are set up for trainee pilots at a drone school. There are no official figures for how many women serve as drone operators, but instructors and unit commanders estimate that several dozen are now active or in advanced training, with more joining each month.